The Cuckoo's Calling

By: Robert Galbraith

Narrated by: Robert Glenister

Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Published under a pseudonym, J. K. Rowling’s brilliant debut mystery introduces Detective Cormoran Strike as he investigates a supermodel's suicide in “one of the best books of the year” (USA Today).

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, creditors are calling, and after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend, he’s living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with a shocking story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry - known to her friends as the Cuckoo - famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Fast-paced and sharply drawn, this dazzling detective novel inspired Strike, the BBC crime drama series that has captivated millions of viewers worldwide.

©2013 Robert Galbraith (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Excellent!

Detective fiction, set in the UK is my favorite genre, and JK Rowling really nailed it! Great story, characters, and performance. Hoping for at least a sequel, if not a series!

Guy Noir in exquisite detail

Plotline, environment and details fit together like hand in a black glove on a moonless night

Fantastic Ending

When I heard JK Rowlings wrote a new book. I had to listen. Now that I have completed the book I loved it. Half way through, I thought it was a very slow moving book. It gave a lot of detail. Which at the end made complete sense and was great! I never once, even guessed the true murderer, had it completely wrong.

Murder or Suicide - Cormoran Strike will find out

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cuckoo's Calling to be better than the print version?

I didn't see that one coming! Gruff and worn Cormoran Strike is a throw back to the down and out Detective genre.
The story develops at a meandering pace but has twists and turns to keep the reader off kilter just enough to not be predictable and boring.
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

What other book might you compare The Cuckoo's Calling to and why?

Elements of the story and writing style remind me of Dashiell Hammett.

What does Robert Glenister bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

a lovely variety of character voices. It was very nice to be able to distinguish who was who.

Ties together nicely

I give the story only 4 starts because it took me a bit to get into it. The book is well written, with good characters, but I like a little more grit in my detectives -- a la Harry Bosch. in the end Stryke gets there, it just took a little longer than I hoped.

Good read hard to put down

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cuckoo's Calling to be better than the print version?

N/A

What did you like best about this story?

The story was well written kept me engaged throughout. It was very hard to stop listening.

Have you listened to any of Robert Glenister’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Exceptionally good. Most enjoyable.

Brilliant writing. Spot on narration. Excellent character development. A great read. Going on to book 2, "The Silkwork" straightaway. Bravo!

Each character lives

Rowling has written a marvelous story, As with her previous work her crowning achievement is her keen perception into human characters. I could barely stop listening and shot through this book faster that any other I have purchased from audible.

The narration was top-notch as well.

The only complaint I have and the one thing people may want to note is the liberal use of expletives (most of them very "harsh"). I thought she went a bit far - we get the point. There is also some moral ambiguity that I found disappointing.

Overall however, I am cannot wait for the next installment. I am in awe with this author's ability.

Even better the second time around!

The nuances in this book are amazing. I enjoyed it just as much on the second listen.

should have read it sooner

Where does The Cuckoo's Calling rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

one of the best

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cuckoo's Calling?

Stike on the town with a super model.

Which character – as performed by Robert Glenister – was your favorite?

Strike

Any additional comments?

I don't know why I let this sit in my library so long. This book was a delight. Great story with interesting characters. The mystery kept me guessing right up to very close to the end. The narrator was wonderful. Clear voice, great pace and very good with the many different characters.